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Posted: 4/18/2005 9:36:14 AM EDT
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What are your opinions? What are the advantages of fixed over variable and vice versa? It would seem to me that having options is always better making a variable magnification scope a better choice everytime. But I'm sure the fixed have their places and I want to know them. |
| I Ihave two variable power scopes that I dont recall having ever taken off their max setting. Having said that, There's a few new low power variable scopes that I am interested in. When I get one, I do see myself switching the magnification from high to low. But that has more to do with the gun I plan to put it on, and the shooting I plan to so with it than the scope itself. |
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Ok... how about: What are you losing by not being about to change the magnification? Is changing the magnification all that important? The scopes I have with variable mag I generally keep maxed out but I'm curious why some people might not? Is it because you sometimes need a larger sight picture if, say, you're "leading" a target? If that's the case how do you pick a scope if you're not sure what type of shooting it's going to be doing? |
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Used to be that variables were considered less rugged....they have come a long way in the last few years. The better built variables are tougher than some of the lesser built fixed powers -imo (most of the time you get what you pay for or you 'pay for' what you get) Buy as much quality as you can afford and you will generally only have to buy once. Highly magnified fixed powers are great for varmint work at known distances...and for target shooting. Problems arrise, imo, when you are talking about trying to get a fixed power to double as a CQB A hunting example might be when a target suddenly surprises you at a close range and you have trouble trying to find it in you high power fixed scope. If you have a variable you could 'dial down' and find it more easily.. You could also handle this by using a lesser power fixed scope such as a fixed 4x or 6x But now you give up something if a target appears at a longer range.. That is why you see 'fixes' such as having the option to mount a Doctor or JP or other non magnified red dot optic along side of, or on top of your magnified optic giving you a CQB option. I have a Leupold 6X42 that I have been using for a long time..probably my favorite scope for deer, varmints in my neck of the woods and swamps...but have an Aimpoint on my house gun...along with a light I use a light on my 12 gauge as well...for night time critter getting..(fox, skunk, coon, possum etc) I also have a 10X with light crosshairs on my 10/17 HMR for blackbirds,rabbits (ones I dont care to eat),woodchucks and other garden robbers...I find during daylight hours.(my eyes are old I prefer the shotgun for night work) If I were looking for an inexpensive scope to be my one and only...I would probably go with a fixed 4X matte Leupy with heavy crosshairs..with BUIS (and a tritium front sight) (on an AR15) There is really no 'one and only' scope...as everyone has differing needs and jobs to do... A person would be better served in figuring out what it is he wants this tool..his rifle...to do for him and then look for equipment that best fufills the job and still leaves his wallet with enough spare cash that his wife is not filing papers... The hot ticket these days for fixed scopes doing double duty on an AR are the ACOGS, or (maybe) the magnified red dots (Aimpoints,EOTechs)... And for variables the 1.5X4's & 1.5X5s (Trijicon Accupoint,Leupold,Schmidt und Bender,Nightforce,US Optics) seem to be leading the pack. There are a lot of guys out there (with good eyes) who do quite well with straight iron sights...or just a tritium front sight... Plenty of critters and bad guys have fallen to fixed sights and red dots... |
How far out are you talking? I would say a 6x would be pretty nice out to at least 300m. I'm thinking in terms of an AR where I was trained on iron sights out ot that far... so a 6x would certainly give a sweet advantage. What distance is 6x too much magnification to be able to quickly pick up on a target? Not in terms of CQB, but general "ranged" targets? My MkIV CQ/T goes to 3x and that makes 100m shooting pretty simple... so I would assume a 6x would be just as sweet out to at least 200m. I guess the farthest out I would expect to shoot would be around 300m. So if I were going to get a fixed magnification what would be a good number to go with to where it would make shooting at my max range substantially easier while still being able to comfortably pick up targets as close as say 50m? |
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Fixed scopes were wanted by Military because they were stronger and they wanted few moving parts to reduce problems in the field. The fixed are easer to make and you can line up the glass easer to give the shooter a sharper image. But a lot of the problems they had are no longer or as big as a problem. Variables are great for hunting because on their low setting it makes them faster and when you need to identify an object you can zoom in. The Military are going to more variables now because of the higher quality scopes out there take away a lot of the variable problems. www.csgunworks.com [email protected] Here’s some testimonials about CS GunWorks for AR15 Board Mike at CS Gunworks is... |
| at 10 yards 6x would be aaaaaaaalot. I one time couldn't get deer squirtin out in the road fast enough at about 20 yards with a 4x. Plus it was mounted a little high on the rifle but when you pull it up and see nothing but brown, it's hard to figure out where you are on the animal. I have a 2 X 7 that seems to work well, but I have not jumped a deer with it yet. But If I'm trompin through swamps and thick crap it's stayin on 2 power. Then when I'm having fun at the range it's on 7. Also if you were on stand it might behoove you to leave it on a higher power, depending on terrain. Just my 2cents. But a fixed 2.5 or 4 wouldn't be a bad scope. They do make scopes that are 1 - 4 also. No power to 4 power. These would also work nice for differing terrain. |
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